This invention relates to devices and methods for eliminating termite colonies. More particularly, this invention relates to bait matrices and bait stations for eliminating termite colonies and methods for their use.
Termites have a social hierarchy with several general adult forms: workers, soldiers, secondary reproductives, and a primary male (king) and primary female (egg-laying queen). Workers make up the largest part of the colony, and among their tasks is foraging for food for the members of the colony. Workers are the colony members that cause damage to wood. Workers communicate information related to sources of food from one termite to another by chemical odor (pheromones) communication and touch (tactile) communication. Workers also carry food from its source back to the colony where it is shared with other colony members by trophallaxis.
Quick kill of individual foraging workers does not affect the main colony because it has no effect upon those hatching in the nest. Only the feeding termites are affected, those in the nest continue to multiply and thus the infestation remains. However, if a xe2x80x9cslow actingxe2x80x9d termiticide is mixed with a food source desirable to termites, the foraging workers will communicate the location of the food source to other workers, and the foraging workers will also carry the termiticide containing food back to the nest to be shared. If sufficient termiticide is transported back into the nest, it is possible to eliminate the entire colony.
One problem in eliminating a termite colony is locating the colony. Various species of termites may have nests that are subterranean, within the structure of homes, or xe2x80x9caerialxe2x80x9d (in trees, under roofs, etc.). Subterranean termites include Reticulitermes flavipes (Eastern subterranean termites), Reticulitermes hesperus, Reticulitermes virginicus, Coptotermes formosans (Formosan termites), and Heterotermes aureus. Other types of termites include dry wood termites such as Kaloterines minor, Kaloterines snyderi, Kalotermes schwarzi, and Procryptotermes hubbardi; damp-wood termites such as Prorhinotermes simplex; rotten-wood termites such as Zootermopsis angusticollis and Zootermopsis nevadensis; powder-post termites such as Cryptotermes brevis; and nasutiform termites such as Nasutitermes corniger. 
Attempts have been made to address the problems discussed above by the use of bait stations containing bait matrices. Some of the products currently available include FIRSTLINE(copyright) from FMC Corporation of Philadelphia, Pa., SUBTERFUGE(trademark) from American Cyanimid of Madison, N.J., and SENTRICON(copyright) made by DowAgroSciences of Indianapolis, Ind. SENTRICON(copyright), for example, is a termite colony elimination system consisting of a bait station in the form of a plastic spike container and a nontermiticidal bait matrix that is replaced with a termiticidal bait matrix containing a chemical insecticide when termites are detected at the nontermiticidal bait matrix. The system is designed for insertion in and around buildings and structures. SENTRICON(copyright) is only available at considerable expense from a licensed pest control operator (xe2x80x9cPCOxe2x80x9d). Typically, the PCO will install a plurality of bait stations containing the nontermiticidal bait matrix in the soil around the foundation of the structure to be monitored and protected. The PCO contracts to visit the site periodically after installation to check the bait stations for evidence of termite infestation or feeding on the bait matrix. If termite presence is detected in a bait station, the nontermiticidal bait matrix is replaced with a termiticidal bait matrix (containing a chemical insecticide). The PCO continues to visit the site periodically and replace spent termiticidal bait matrix until the colony is eliminated.
The chemical insecticide in SENTRICON(copyright) is hexaflumuron, a benzoylurea compound. Benzoylurea compounds (such as hexaflumuron, flufenoxuron, lufenuron, and dimilin) are chitin synthesis inhibitors, which disrupt the molting cycle of termites. However, chitin synthesis inhibitors suffer from the drawback that they are too slow-acting. It can take 4 months to 1 year to eliminate a termite colony using hexaflumuron in this way.
This invention relates to devices and methods for detecting the presence of termites and eliminating termite colonies. The devices and methods typically employ cellulase inhibitors as termiticides. Cellulose (in the form of wood, paper, etc.) is a source of food for termites. Termites require cellulases to digest the cellulose to glucose. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is thought that cellulase inhibitors ingested by a termite prevent one or more of the cellulases in the gut of the termite from digesting cellulose, at least to some degree, e.g., a degree sufficient to kill the termite.